Bittersweet Reflections
by Kofa-Chan
Summary: What happens when a ghost of Gin's past returns? What happened to her to begin with? Why is Aizen so interested in her as well? GinOC Romance/Tragedy/Drama/Some Humor
1. Reflect The Past

**NOTE:~ Hey guys! So..another fic, eh? But I will be updating some of my others! Unfortunately I will be dropping some that aren't that popular...so sorry if you like that one but keep an eye out to see what will be discontinued! Anyway, this is going to be a GinOC fic so I hope you enjoy it. It will have lots of drama and tragedy just so you all know! The starting is going to be a flash back of when they were kids! Anyways, enjoy!**

**Bittersweet Reflections**

**Chapter 1: Reflect The Past**

_**Rukongai District; 110 Years Ago**_

"_Gin!", the strawberry blonde shouted as she chased after the silver haired boy, "Where are you going in such a hurry? HEY! GIN!". No response came from the silver haired boy, Gin. He simply continued to run with the jug of water him and Rangiku shared tucked tightly under his arm. He was heading towards the old district that had been deserted and destroyed. "I swear, he's going to kill us both if he drops that water...", the girl murmured, trying to catch up with the boy but finding it hard due to the crowds of people they were going through._

"_Eh, I gotcha. Just give me a minute", Gin shouted down into a rather deep looking pit. But he heard no response coming from it. He quickly set down the jug of water and pulled out the rope he had tucked into his tattered kimono and unraveled it, throwing it into the pit. "Grab onta it. I'll pull ya up", he stated, but felt nothing on the rope. Nothing but slack. "There you are!", exclaimed the strawberry blonde girl, "What do you think you're doing?". "She ain't answerin' Ran-chan...", Gin stated, looking_ _back at Rangiku in worry. The girl, Rangiku, was confused before noticing the rope in Gin's hands. She quickly moved to the edge of the hole and peered inside. It was too dark at the bottom to see anyone down there._

"_Are you sure someone's down there...?", Rangiku looked up at Gin. "I was talkin' to'er before", Gin stated with a nod. Rangiku looked back into the hole. "Hey!", she shouted into it, "Are you ok?". Meanwhile, while Rangiku shouted into the hole, Gin moved and tied the end of the rope to one of the old ruined buildings beside the hole. He then grabbed the rope and suddenly slid down it and into the hole. "GIN!", Rangiku called after him as he disappeared into the darkness._

_Gin hit the bottom and had to wait a moment for his eyes to adjust to the darkness before he saw the female. She was a girl about his and Rangiku's age. She looked pretty beaten up and malnourished. She had light brown hair that fell into her face. Her body almost looked lifeless. Gin stepped over and reached out to check if she was still alive. He quickly looked up, "Ran-chan! She's alive!", he called up before grabbing the end of the rope and tying it around the girls waist. He then climbed back up the rope to the top of the hole before climbing out. "Help meh pull", he told Rangiku as he grabbed the rope, Rangiku grabbing it behind him and beginning to pull the girls body from the hole. When her body was close to the top, Gin quickly moved to pull the girl out of the hole and laid her body down, untying her waist. He grabbed the jug of water and opened it, pouring a little onto the girls lips._

_Rangiku stood there and watched him. 'His intension's are always good...but I wish he would tell me what's going on before he acts. He always leaves me in the dark...', Rangiku thought to herself. The girl suddenly began coughing and a smile finally came back onto Gin's features as the girls green orbs opened up to look around. "Mornin'. How ya feelin'?", he questioned her. She opened her mouth to speak and her voice came out dry and raspy, "Am I dead...?". Gin shook his head, "Nah. Ya ain't dead. Ya ain't eva gunna die with me and Ran-chan to be around". The girl glanced over at Rangiku and smiled before her eyes closed, "Thank you...". She passed out once more._

_**Central 46; 80 Years Ago**_

"_But I don't understand!", the girl stood before the council. The very girl Gin and Rangiku had saved. She was dressed in shinigami robes, a vice-captain badge on her shoulder. "What did I do wrong..?", she looked around at the entire council and then back at the head. "You're not supposed to be here. You were never meant to be a shinigami", stated the male. "But...But I went through the academy...I have a zanpakuto...what do you mean I'm not meant to be a shinigami?", she stepped back, shaking her head in confusion, "WHAT DO YOU MEAN?". "The council of Central 46 has decided that Mizuki Shinsei, Vice-Captain of the Third Division, will have her memory wiped and be cast out of Seireitei forever", one of the female council members spoke. "But...You can't do this! Why? I didn't do anything wrong!", Mizuki looked around as she was surrounded by the second division's special op's members._

"_You can't take my memory! I won't let you! I have a right to know who I am!", Mizuki exclaimed, drawing her zanpakuto. She didn't understand why this was suddenly happening. Why Central 46 wanted her erased from history. She quickly blocked an attack by one and kicked at another. "You'll regret this!", she exclaimed, "Reflect, Itazuki Kagami!". However, before her zanpakuto could do anything, her blade was suddenly knocked from her hand and she was stabbed in the stomach. Mizuki raised a hand to her stomach, feeling the blood trickle from the wound before beginning to gush as the blade was drawn from her stomach. "Why...?", she coughed, getting stabbed again in the back, "Why...? WHY?"._

_**Hueco Mundo; Present Day**_

"MIZUCHI!", exclaimed a small figure, "MIZUCHI! COME ON! LET'S PLAY!". The green haired child suddenly jumped onto a brown haired female. "Ouch...! Nel-chan! That hurt!", the female frowned, looking at the girl. "Come on Mizuchi! We wanna play!", Nel giggled, bouncing up and down on the females stomach. "Ok ok! Please get off, Nel-chan", she smiled at the girl, "I'll come play!". "YAH!", Nel cheered before jumping to her feet and allowing the female to stand. Slowly the women stood up, brushing the sand from her tattered black robes. "Mizuki! You're finally awake!", commented a skinny looking arrancar. "Yes, Pesche, but it isn't like I had a choice", Mizuki stated, looking exhausted however she put a smile on her features. "Let's play! TAG! I'M IT!", Mizuki laughed as she quickly chased after the group, who screamed and ran as they played.

"Mizuchi! Ya can't catch me!", laughed Nel, who couldn't pronounce Mizuki's name properly. "Oh yes I can!", laughed Mizuki as she suddenly appeared in front of Nel and grabbed her, lifting her off the ground and into the air, "Gotcha!". Nel laughed at this, smiling now. "Now you're it, Nel", giggle Mizuki as she put the girl down and began running with the others. "Hehehe! Nel, you're slow!", laughed Mizuki. "That's not fair! You's got longer legs!", Nel complained before she suddenly tripped and fell into the sand, "Owwy...". Nel sat up, beginning to cry now. Mizuki turned in worry, quickly hurrying over to her. "Are you alright Nel?", she questioned in worry. "I fell and hurt my knee...", Nel stated, hiding her face in her hands. "Well...let me have a look...", as Mizuki leaned down, Nel pulled her hands away from her face and no tears were there. A smile was as she touched Mizuki's arm. "You're it Mizuchi!", Nel exclaimed, quickly getting up and moving away. "He-Hey! That's cheating!", Mizuki laughed, getting to her feet and once again, beginning to chase the group. This was fun. Mizuki was glad she met them. Without them, she would be dead.

_**Hueco Mundo; 60 Years Ago**_

"_How long have I been here...? How long have I been in this place? Am I the only one alive beyond these creatures...?", Mizuki sat up as she heard some noises nearby. Her gaze shifted to a cliff as she saw someone, a man, at the top of the cliff, dropping something off of it. It looked like...people? Mizuki ignored her hunger and exhaustion as she quickly jumped to her feet and ran towards the falling figures. "How could someone do that..?", she murmured, her gaze going to the top of the cliff and she noted what the figure looked like. Long black hair and an eye patch. Those were his most notable features._

_It took her a moment to actual reach the group of three that had been thrown off of the cliff, and one of them even looked like a small child. "Hey...!", she called out as loud as her dry and cracked voice would let her. She suddenly collapsed to her hands and knees a few feet away from the group. Her body was too exhausted and hungry to run. So, she tried crawling. "Are you..alright..?", she questioned, feeling herself slipping slowly slipping from consciousness. Then everything went black._

"_Lady...", a voice called, "Are you alright?". A groan came from the female which caused the child and her group to jump back in fear. Mizuki lifted her head and looked around, in a daze at the moment. But as she stared at them, she recognized them as the people from the cliff. "Are you guys alright...?", Mizuki questioned. "Mhm", the child nodded, "Are you alright lady?". "Just...hungry and exhausted...", Mizuki replied. "We got food!", the child announced and snatched some funny looking item that the big guy was about to eat. "B-But...I was gunna eat that Nel...", the big guy frowned as the child, Nel, gave the item to Mizuki. Mizuki took it and began eating it. The taste of the item didn't matter, nor did it matter even what it was. She was hungry and her taste buds were non-existent at this point in time. _

"_What is your name?", Nel questioned as Mizuki finished eating. "Mizuki...", she replied, looking at Nel before smiling, "How about you? All of you?". "I'm Nel! This is Pesche! And this is Dondachakka!", as she said all their names, she pointed at eat of them, "Do you want to play with us?". "Play...?", Mizuki sounded almost confused at that word. As if she didn't know what it meant. "Ya, chase us Mizuchi! CHASE US!", Nel cheered, jumping up and down. Mizuki slowly got to her feet, wondering if she should or not. But a smile came forward and she nodded, "Ok!"._

_When play time was over, the group had settled down to rest. They tried to get to know each other, but nobody seemed to know much about who they were. "Well then, how about we make our own family? Just us!", Pesche announced. Nel cheered, "YAH! Family! Family!". "Family...?", another word that seemed to confuse Mizuki, yet she had heard it somewhere before. Or had she? She couldn't remember. "Family means we stick together!", Pesche stated. "Never apart!", Dondachakka chimed in. "Together forever!", Nel exclaimed, jumping onto Mizuki. Mizuki smiled at this and laughed. "I like that word. Family. We're family...forever..", Mizuki wrapped her arms around Nel and held her close. This had to be the happiest she had ever been in this place of nothingness. She didn't know how long she had been there or even why she was there. But maybe this was why she was there. For family._

_**Hueco Mundo; Present Time**_

"I'm hungry...", Nel frowned now as she suddenly stopped running. Mizuki paused just behind her and then looked at the other two, "Do we have any left overs?". Pesche and Dondachakka shook their heads no. Mizuki looked back down at Nel, "We'll have to find something then! Let's split up and meet back here!". Mizuki picked up Nel, placing the girl onto her shoulders before heading in the opposite direction of Pesche and Dondachakka.

All was silent as they walked. No hollow ever really bothered them and they never bothered the hollow. It would only cause problems. But food on the top was hard to find. Down in the menos forest there was a variety of food. But also more danger. So, they always tried to scrounge up something on the surface. They didn't go into the Menos Forest unless absolutely necessary.

"Mizuchi...", Nel spoke up, resting her head on top of Mizuki's. "Hm...?", Mizuki glanced back up at Nel, wondering what she wanted. "Do you ever wonder where your memory went...?", Nel asked, curious now. Mizuki looked ahead, "Sometimes. But I have family now. My memory is not so important anymore...". "I wonder...", Nel murmured, "Where my memory is...I got this feeling that I'm supposed to be somewhere else...". "We'd miss you if you were somewhere else...", Mizuki stated, "Family always misses family...". Nel smiled at this and held onto Mizuki tighter. "Ok! I won't be anywhere else but with family!", Nel nodded as she said this. Mizuki was glad to hear that. It was good to know Nel didn't want to leave them. That their family wouldn't be broken up. If they ever did break up, Mizuki would most likely be lost. She didn't know how she had made it before without them, but if they disappeared now. She would surely die.

"Hey look!", Nel pointed towards some dead looking vegetation that had some odd fruit growing on them, which also looked dead. Mizuki set Nel down as she began to squirm and followed her towards the plant. "It's that hueco mundo fruit...Can't remember the name. Pesche will know though but we've had it before!", Mizuki stated as her and Nel began to pick some of the strange fruit. "We found the food first! Dondachakka and Pesche are going to be mad they lost", giggled Nel. "It wasn't a game", laughed Mizuki, "Besides, they might have found some food too. You never know".

After picking as much as they could carry, the two began heading back to their meeting spot. Their stomachs were growling but they didn't eat. They always waited until they were together as a family to eat. It was just the way they were.

As they arrived, Pesche and Dondachakka were waiting for them with a supply of their own strange fruit. "Wow! Looks like we all got lucky! We'll surely have left overs!", Mizuki announced as they took a seat in a circle and began to eat while enjoying some small talk about fun things they could do or fun times they had, had. This was a normal day in the life of their family. Play, eat, and then sleep. It never got old either. But little did they know what surprises were around the corner that would tear their little family apart...

**END:~ I know, first chapter sucks and is confusing! But I can't reveal EVERYTHING in the beginning. It's no fun that way xP. But please review and thanks for reading!**


	2. Reflecting Confusion

**NOTE:~ Second chapter! So now is where it'll get more into the action =D And Gin will show up! xP So enjoy!**

**Bittersweet Reflections**

**Chapter 2: Reflecting Confusion**

The four lay together, fast asleep. Nel was laying on top of Dondachakka while Pesche was laying against him and Mizuki was laying beside the group. They looked so peaceful in their sleeping state. Since there was no sun, it was never known what was day or night. So they could be sleeping during the day and be up at night without even realizing it. But either way it didn't matter. Life in Hueco Mundo was different than any other place.

He wasn't sure why he wanted to wander. Maybe it was the fact that he couldn't sleep and had already been kicked out of all the Espada's rooms he tried to annoy in his insomnia. So he decided to take a brisk walk among the endless sands that had grown so familiar over the last little while that he has been living there. The air was cool, as always, and there was a scent in the air. A scent that only Hueco Mundo had. The scent of death.

However, the smell was something he had quickly grown accustomed too. After all, he had chosen the path of most death to begin with. His gaze was on the crescent moon above, something that seemed calming yet also deadly. It was like a curse for them. A meaning towards death. The moon, it was always a sign of death.

So, as the silver haired man continued to explore, his gaze fell from the moon and towards some sort of sound he was hearing. Snoring. A look of amusement appeared as he saw a pile of odd looking arrancar asleep nearby. He folded his hands into his sleeves and slowly stepped towards the sleeping group, his smile plastered onto his features. He stopped, standing over the group. He was about to scare them when something caught his eye on the other side of the group. A female shinigami. A _familiar_ female shinigami. A ghost from his past. His smile seemed to fade for a moment as he stepped around, tilting his head to inspect the female. She looked just like _her_. But it couldn't be, could it?

Mizuki slowly opened her eyes as she felt something lingering over them. She turned her head, looking up to see a strange silver haired man looming above her. She blinked, just staring at him. "Sleep...", she murmured and turned back over, curling up to herself. This intrigued the fox faced man. How interesting this was. That voice. Her looks. That _personality_. So much like _**her**_.

So, he leaned down and picked up the female, holding her close. She seemed to curl up close to his body for the warmth. "My, my...yar so much like Mizu-chan...", he murmured. Without another sound, the silver haired fox disappeared into the night. Leaving Nel and the others clueless as to what has happened.

Mizuki slowly turned over, sprawling her body out as she did. But something felt odd. Whatever was underneath her no longer felt like the familiar sands she was used to. It felt soft and smooth. At this, she slowly opened her eyes, dazed at first before the room came into focus. She was inside some strange room that she didn't quite understand. She had never been inside a building in her entire time in Hueco Mundo, yet alone a bed. So this was quite unfamiliar to her. "Yar awake", came a voice, which caused Mizuki to jump into a sitting position. She looked around to find the source until her gaze met the slit like eyes of a silver haired man.

"Mornin'", he greeted her with a smile. Mizuki blinked at him before recalling seeing him last night. "Am I dreaming...?", she questioned and pinched herself. "Nah", he shook his head, "Yar not dreamin'. Yar awake and inside Los Noches". "Los...Noches...?", Mizuki blinked and looked up at him, even more confused now. An amused look appeared on his features now. This was interesting. She didn't appear to know anything.

"That's what this buildin's called", he replied. "Where's Nel...?", Mizuki looked around the room, wondering where the small child and the other two were. "Nel...?", he paused, thinking for a moment before remembering the group he had found her near, "Most likely back in the desert where I found ya". Mizuki quickly looked at Gin, "What? Oh no!". She suddenly jumped out of the bed, however she ended up landing on the ground face first. She was tangled in the blankets that had been covering her and she hadn't even noticed it. Mizuki looked back at the blankets tangled around her, confused now before screaming. "AHHH! THE THINGY IS TRYING TO EAT ME!", she exclaimed, trying to crawl her way out of the blankets. The fox faced man chuckled before kneeling down and helping her out of the blankets. "Thar just blankets. Don'tcha worry, they can't eat ya", he explained.

Mizuki looked at the blankets and then at the man. She tilted her head slightly before smiling, "Thank you Mr. Fox face!". "Fox...face...?", Gin was surprised at this. It wasn't the _**exact**_ nickname _**she**_ had given him before, but it was close enough. "Whatcha name..?", he questioned. "Mizuki", she replied. Gin nearly opened his eyes in surprise, nearly, but he didn't. Mizuki was _**her**_ name too. Interesting. "Im Gin, Gin Ichimaru", he introduced, "Ya wouldn't happen to be Mizuki Shinsei, would ya..?". "Mizuki...Shinsei...?", she blinked before smiling again and shaking her head, "Nope! But I really have to return to the others! They're going to be soooo worried!". Gin's smile faded as he heard her reply.

She looked around the room before spotting a door and walking over to it. She opened it but it ended up being the closet. She blinked, confused. "Ahhh! We're trapped! THERE'S NOTHING BUT CLOTHES!", she exclaimed. Gin chuckled softly once more and moved towards her, taking her shoulders and turning her towards the other door. "There's more than one door ya know", he whispered into her ear, "But before ya go, might I introduce ya to someone...?".

They now walked through the long white hallways, Gin leading the way. Mizuki was looking around in awe at how big the hallway was. There was no sand inside of here, which was something she was not used to. "So, how long have ya been livin' with arrancar, Mizuki..?", Gin spoke up, breaking the silence and dragging her attention back to him. "Dunno...", she replied with a shrug, "Long time I guess...". "And ya don't find it strange that ya don't have a mask like them...?", Gin questioned further. Mizuki shook her head with a smile, "I don't need a mask to fit in. We're family". Gin tensed, his smile wavering once more. '_Family..._', he thought to himself.

"What about you...? How long have you been living in this place..?", Mizuki asked. "Not long, really", he replied, "Just got here a few months back". "Ohh..? Where did you used to live?", Mizuki questioned further, growing curious now. "Place called Soul Society, _Seireitei_", Gin put emphasis on Seireitei for a reason. He wanted to see if she would recognize that word. "Never heard of it...Is it in Hueco Mundo?", Mizuki asked. "Nah, it's another place opposite of Hueco Mundo. Shinigami live there", Gin replied. "Shini...gami...?", Mizuki found herself now growing more and more confused. Seireitei. Shinigami. Those were words she didn't understand.

Mizuki stopped in the middle of the hallway, causing Gin to stop as well and turn to face her. She looked lost and confused. "What's wrong...?", he questioned, "We're almost there". Mizuki shook her head, "Can I go back to my family now...? I don't want to meet your friend...I want to go _home_". She felt annoyed and strange. Something was making her feel uncomfortable and sick. This place was so unfamiliar. She wanted to go back to where everything made sense. She didn't like this feeling.

Gin turned to face her, his smile softening. "It'll be alrigh'. He won't hurt ya, and I promise ya can go back to yar family afterwards", Gin stated, holding out a hand towards her now, "You'll be ok". Mizuki looked up at Gin and for some reason the look he had right now was familiar. Something inside of her snapped and a sharp pain filled her head. She screamed, raising a hand to her face and holding it as a flash of Gin as a young child holding his hand out to her with a gentle smile came forward. She screamed further, closing her eyes and wanting the pain to stop. She didn't understand what was happening. What was going on. Gin didn't either.

As soon as she screamed, his hand fell and he was filled with his own confusion as he watched her now. What was happening? Small sparks of brilliant blue and black light came from her body, similar to reitsu. "A seal...?", he murmured, folding his hands into his sleeves. Mizuki's screams slowly faded, but with the fading screams her consciousness also went. Soon, Mizuki lay there motionless on the floor. Gin slowly approached her and knelt down, brushing some of her hair from her face and noticing a strange marking on her forehead. Slowly the mark began to fade until nothing was there. "Interestin'...", Gin murmured before picking her up and continuing on his way to see Aizen. He would most certainly be intrigued about all of this.

Nel slowly sat up, rubbing her tired eyes with a yawn. "Mizuchi...", Nel murmured, "are you awake...?". Nel looked over to where Mizuki had been sleeping and stared at the empty space blankly for a moment before actually realizing Mizuki wasn't there. Nel quickly looked around, trying to see if she was around anywhere but she couldn't see her. She screamed, "MIZUCHI IS MISSING!". With that, Dondachakka and Pesche quickly sat up, causing Nel to fall off of Dondachakka and into the sand. Nel quickly stood up and looked around once more, "MIZUCHI!". Tears filled the small arrancar's eyes as she received no response. "Mizuchi...Mizuchi is gone...!", Nel sat there now, crying. "I'm sure she's not gone!", Pesche quickly spoke up, "She would never leave us!". Nel looked over at Pesche, "Really...?". He nodded, "I'm sure she's just...gone to find some water!".

Nel slowly dried her eyes, still unsure whether Pesche's words could be true or not. But they could only wait and see. It was the only thing left for them to do...

"So this was your discovery, Gin..?", Aizen questioned, raising a brow in amusement as Gin came in with a female in his arms. "Ya, but look at'er", Gin replied, watching Aizen as he slowly rose from his chair and stepped over, brushing the girls hair from her face and inspecting her features. "Mizuki Shinsei...", Aizen looked up at Gin questionably. "She could be, her names Mizuki. But she don't remember her last name and she don't remember much about anything really. However, just a moment ago, I think her body was tryin' to remember something and a mark – a seal – appeared on'er forehead...", a look of interest now came to Aizen's features as he heard Gin's words. "So she could be Miss Shinsei after all...Interesting...", Aizen looked back down at Mizuki, his smirk growing. "So yar last puzzle piece has been found then, Aizen-sama...?", Gin questioned. "It would appear so...For now, keep her in your room. Make sure she _does not_ leave here", Aizen instructed before turning and stepping towards the large window that looked over the endless sands.

"Now that we have her, the plans will be placed in motion faster. The _**hogyoku**_ can be used sooner than expected...", Aizen was pleased. Despite the female not remembering anything, that seal on her forehead may be simple to break. After all, she used to be apart of Gin's _**family**_. He could break the seal. "You may go now", he told Gin, dismissing him. Gin nodded and turned, heading out of the room and back towards his bedroom. His gaze was now on Mizuki. "Ya won't get to go _home_ now. I lied", he stated to the unconscious female.

Slowly Mizuki began to wake up, her head was hurting. But there seemed to be something cold on her forehead. She raised a hand, feeling a cold pack of something on her forehead. She removed it before slowly sitting up. She was in that man, Gin's, room again. "Mmm..what happened...?", she murmured, feeling her head throb. "Ya passed out", came the newly familiar voice of Gin. Mizuki looked over at him, "My head hurts...". Gin chuckled, "Ya hit yar head pretty hard. The ice'll help", he gestured towards the packet that was in her one hand. Mizuki looked at it before raising it to her forehead. It didn't make the pain completely disappear, but it did numb it for the time being.

"Can I go home soon...?", Mizuki asked, looking towards the window within the room, "Nel-chan and the others are probably worried...". "But ya are home", Gin replied. She looked over at him, confused once again. "Yar right where ya belong, Mizu-chan", Gin stated, folding his hands into his sleeves. "Home...is with Nel, Pesche and Dondachakka...", Mizuki replied, narrowing her eyes now, "I want to go home, _**now**_". Gin could sense a small rise in whatever reitsu Mizuki had bottled up inside of her, which caused his smirk to grow. "Sorry, under strict orders from Aizen-sama not to let ya leave here", he stated, pulling a hand out and raising it, "But I promise ya, yar stay will be nice". "I'm not staying. I'm going _**home**_", Mizuki's voice sounded almost threatening now. She was starting to sound dangerous, and the feel of the reitsu stirring inside of her felt quite promising. Maybe this was one of the ways Gin could unlock her memories.

Mizuki rose from the bed, eyes narrowed at Gin. Gin simply smiled and tilted his head slightly, "Get back in bed, Mizu-chan. Don't wanna hafta use force". Mizuki crossed her arms, now refusing to listen to him as she glared at him like a young child would to a parent. Gin chuckled at this and slowly stepped towards her. How familiar that look was. He had only received it about a _thousand_ times when they were younger. "Don't make that face, Mizu-chan~!", he lifted a hand and placed it on her head, leaning over slightly so he was now at her height. She continued to glare at him and he could feel the reitsu swirl inside of her more and more.

"No", she stated flatly, her voice no longer cheerful and kind. With that, she raised her hand and pulled his from her head and pushed him back with quite the amount of force that Gin had almost been unable to catch himself. But he did. "I want to go home. I want to be back with my family! Nel, Pesche, and Dondachakka! TAKE ME HOME!", suddenly her eyes flashed from green to an icy blue and that same blue began to seep from her body in the form of reitsu.

Gin adjusted himself as he watched her, now wondering if this was helping at all with her memory. This reitsu. "Mizu-chan..don't this seem familiar...?", Gin questioned, tilting his head as he folded his hands into his sleeves. Mizuki blinked at him and the reitsu suddenly disappeared and her eyes went back to normal. "Familiar...?", she once again sounded confused. "That reitsu just now. That power, ya remember it right..?", Gin questioned. Mizuki shook her head, "No...I don't know what you mean...I just want to go home...", suddenly tears came to the girls eyes and she began crying like a small child, "I WANNA GO HOME!". Gin stared in disbelief, his smile gone as he watched the grown female stand there and cry like a small child. "Ya really are a big cry baby, Mizu-chan...", he spoke, a hint of bitterness in his words as his smile was quick to return. Mizuki sniffled and looked at him, "W-What...?". "Yar a grown women, are ya not? Yar acting like a baby. Crying and carrying on. Yar with people like _you_. Yar not like them. They're too different. Ya were just dragging them down. But if ya wanna go back...and end up getting them killed...by all means...", Gin stepped back and pointed towards the door, "But death will come...".

Mizuki stood there, worry clear on her features. It was obvious that Gin's words had effected her in some way. But she still wanted to go back. So, she stepped forward, her knees shaky and weak but she slowly walked passed Gin with caution before she ran out of the room and down into the halls, trying to find her way out. Gin just stood there with a smile. "She'll be back", was all he stated, not at all worried about Aizen yelling at him for letting her leave like he was going to.

"Mizuchi...Mizuchi...Mizuchi...", they had been searching the whole day for her and now they were basically wandering aimlessly. Nel kept murmuring Mizuki's name, as she had been most of their search. At first it started off as a yell, but now Nel barely had a voice and she could no longer yell. She was tired and she was losing her voice. She hadn't eaten either. She was just worried about Mizuki. "Poor Nel...I wonder what happened to Mizuki...", murmured Dondachakka as him and Pesche walked a little behind Nel. "She abandoned us...", Pesche cursed, obviously angry that Nel was suffering like this because of Mizuki. Suddenly, Nel collapsed onto the sand. "NEL!", Pesche exclaimed and ran over to her with Dondachakka. He lifted her up and held the tired arrancar child. She looked exhausted but she kept whispering "_Mizuchi_".

Mizuki had made it out of the large building quite some time later. "Nel...Pesche...Dondachakka...I'm coming back!", she stated, trying to move as fast as she could. But she wasn't sure where to look for them. She didn't know how to find them since she didn't understand the concept of reitsu. So she was basically wandering aimlessly into the sands. But at least she was back out in her familiar world. It was more comforting than those cold white walls.

"NEL! PESCHE! DONDACHAKKA!", Mizuki exclaimed as she ran, looking around as she did. She kept repeating it as she ran. But as she ran, something began to rise from the sand and then suddenly it appeared. A hollow. Not a menos, but still pretty large. "Ahhh, so this is the sweet reitsu I sensed", laughed the hollow, sticking its long tongue out. Drool began to seep out of its mouth and onto the sand, which began to burn as soon as the saliva touched it. It was acidic.

Mizuki quickly backed up, fearful now. She had never really fought many hollow before. Actually, she had never fought hollow from what she remembered. They left her alone because she was normally barely unnoticeable but now that Gin had started to trigger her reitsu, she was becoming noticeable to everything around in Hueco Mundo. The reitsu of a shinigami was always quite a treat. She was unsure of what to do. "Mmm...that's it, just stand there. You make it easier that way", chuckled the hollow as it suddenly leapt at her. Mizuki screamed and quickly moved out of the way.

She began running, her feet just moving on their own. Her heart pounded in her chest and her fear ridden body was running for its dear life without any second thoughts. Of all the times this could have happened, it had to happen now. "Running? EVEN BETTER!", laughed the hollow as he chased after his prey. This would prove to be fun, for the hollow anyway.

As she ran, she suddenly tripped over a rock laying buried under the top layer of sand. She fell forward and landed on her hands and knees. The hollows laughter filled her ears before Mizuki could even recover and she turned over, staring wide-eyed at the hollow in fear. Was this it? Was it over? Her body wouldn't move. She was too scared to move. Just frozen in fear. The fear of being killed. All she could think of at this moment were the words Gin had spoken to her before she had left. _**"...death will come..."**_.

**END:~ I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! Thanks for reading and please review! Very much appreciated! x3**


	3. Reflective Words

**NOTE:~ Here's chapter 3 guys =D Enjoy!**

**Bittersweet Reflections**

**Chapter 3: Reflective Words**

'_I don't want to die..._', Mizuki thought as she stared at the hollow that was now hovering over her, '_Nel...Pesche...Dondachakka. I don't want to die!_'. "I DON'T WANT TO DIE!", she exclaimed out loud, closing her eyes and curling herself up into the fetal position out of fear.** "MIZUCHI!"**. Mizuki tensed as she heard that voice and she pulled her arms from her head to look over only to see the small arrancar running this way. "NEL! STAY BACK!", Mizuki didn't want Nel to get hurt. She didn't want Nel to die. Nel picked up a rock and threw it at the hollow, directing its attention away from Mizuki and to her. "Leave Mizuchi alone you big meanie!", Nel exclaimed.

"Get lost you little pest or I'll eat you for desert", the hollow growled, swiping at the sand around Nel, trying to knock her away. However, Nel grabbed onto the hollows hand and bit into it. The hollow cried out in pain, throwing its hand around before sending Nel flying into the earth beside Mizuki. "NEL!", Mizuki crawled to her, making sure she was alright. Nel looked at Mizuki, blood trickling down the small arrancar's face. "Mizuchi...are you ok...?", Nel questioned. "I'm fine...Nel...you shouldn't have", Mizuki spoke up. Nel smiled, "You're family! Family protects each other!". Mizuki smiled at this.

"You're going to make me sick. An arrancar and a shinigami can never be family", stated the hollow as it now lingered over them, "And just for biting me, you little pest, I'll eat you first!". The hollow reached down to grab Nel but Mizuki pushed the girl away and dodged just in time. "Hmm..?", the hollow looked at Mizuki, "Moving won't do you any good...How about we make you immobile so you can't intervene and you wait your turn for death". The hollow moved towards Mizuki, more of the acidic saliva dripping from its mouth, ready to burn Mizuki's flesh.

"Hey! Pick on someone your own size for once!", exclaimed Pesche as Dondachakka and him threw rocks at the hollow to get his attention now on them. Mizuki looked over, seeing the two now. "Mizuchi!", Mizuki's attention was pulled to Nel, who stood a few feet away now, "We have to move! Come on Mizuchi! Run!". "But what about Dondachakka and Pesche...?", Mizuki asked in confusion. "Go! We'll be fine!", Pesche exclaimed over to her as he threw another rock at the hollow. "You're testing my patience. Pests need to be exterminated", the hollow then took in a deep breath before exhaling, shooting a large amount of its acidic saliva at Pesche and Dondachakka. They couldn't move fast enough and they were hit. Their cries of pain filled the air. "PESCHE! DONDACHAKKA!", Mizuki exclaimed, getting to her feet. From what she could tell, they were badly wounded.

"_**If ya wanna go back...and end up getting them killed...by all means...But death will come..."**_. Mizuki couldn't believe what was happening. She was scared. Gin's words were true. Death was going to come to them if she stayed there. She had to do something. Mizuki could feel something building up inside of her. Some sort of immense power filled with anger and sorrow. She wasn't sure what it was, but as the tears trickled down her features, an icy blue reitsu began to surround her. "LEAVE THEM ALONE!", she exclaimed, her voice sounding dangerous. Her eyes turned bright blue. She suddenly appeared behind the hollow. She lifted up her hand and a sword materialized out of her reitsu. She swung the weapon down onto the hollow, leaving a large gash within the creatures back.

The hollow cried out in pain, swinging its tail at Mizuki, who dodged with ease. She glared at the creature with anger, eyes glowing fiercely. "I warned you...!", she hissed, tears streaking her face, "I WARNED YOU!". She held up her sword and it began to glow a dark blue before swinging it down at the hollow, a large spiral of blue light emerging and swirling towards the hollow, breaking right through its mask and destroying the hollow. As the hollow dispersed, Mizuki landed on the ground, the sword disappearing and the bright blue glow fading away. She sat there on her knees, holding herself as she cried and stared at the sand. "He was right...", she whispered, her body shaking, "If I stay, death will come...".

"Pesche...Dondachakka...", Nel was now by her two friends, trying to get a response from them, "Wake up...pwease...". Mizuki looked up, watching them as Nel began to talk to Pesche and Dondachakka. "Mizuchi...They're not talking...", Nel looked over at her with tears in her eyes. Mizuki sat there for a moment and stared at her. "Mizuchi...?", Nel knew something was wrong just by the pale expression on the shinigami's features. Mizuki shook her head and got to her feet, "I'm sorry...I'm so sorry...". "Mizuchi..?", Nel began to grow worried and moved towards Mizuki, "MIZUCHI!". Suddenly, Mizuki disappeared, leaving a trace of swirling sand where she had stood. Nel fell to her knees, crying now, "Mizuchi...don't leave...".

**...**

Mizuki appeared outside of the entrance to Las Noches, collapsing onto the sand. She was not used to this reitsu, to this power. She was feeling nauseous and weak. "I'm sorry...", she whispered as her mind began to fade into unconsciousness. She was still crying, even in her unconscious state.

Someone lingered in the doorway, a pleasant smirk across his features. "Sorry ya had to learn the hard way Mizu-chan", he stepped out into the moonlight and knelt beside her, "But it's best that yar here. Ya have lots to do with Aizen-sama's plans". Gin picked her up into his arms and turned, beginning to carry the female into Las Noches. Gin had set it up this way. She needed to learn a lesson, and it revealed some of her power along the way.

**...**

"_Why is there a shinigami here...?". "She doesn't belong...How odd...". "Why is Aizen-sama letting her stay..."._ The voices were all around the room and she couldn't exactly pinpoint where they were coming from since she was still waking up from her unconscious state. Slowly her eyes fluttered open and her green orbs shifted back and fourth, trying to bring everything into focus. Mizuki lifted her head as her eyes finally began to focus and she could now see various strange people with parts of strange masks on their faces. "Where...am I...?", she questioned, sitting up and holding her head in pain.

"Los Noches", replied a small arrancar that was cleaning the floor beside Mizuki's bed. Mizuki looked down and saw the small arrancar, who wasn't even looking at her. He was paying attention to his cleaning. Mizuki heard some snarling and looked up to see three female arrancar, dressed in what she assumed was nurse attire, glaring at her before they moved away and went about their own business. "Don't mind them", the small child arrancar spoke up, "They just can't comprehend why a shinigami was allowed here". "Shinigami...?", Mizuki looked at the boy, who now finally was looking at her. He tilted his head in confusion, "You don't know what a shinigami is...?". Mizuki shook her head no. He shook his head and went back to scrubbing the floor, "You're weird".

Mizuki smiled and shook her head, "No, I'm Mizuki, not weird". The boy sighed and continued working, now attempting to ignore her. "What is your name...?", Mizuki asked, "Do you know where the man named Gin is...?". The boy tensed and looked at her, shock clear on his features. "Don't use his name without respect!", the boy stated, looking around and making sure no one heard her. "But he told me to call him Gin...", suddenly, the boy placed a hand over Mizuki's mouth to stop her from talking. "When you speak of a superior such as Gin-sama, Aizen-sama, and Tousen-sama...you have to speak of them with respect or you will get in trouble! Same with the Espada! Always address them with _**respect**_", the boy stated, "Understood". Mizuki nodded her head yes. "Good..", the boy sighed in relief and dropped his hand from her mouth, "And my names Yuka".

"Yuka...", she repeated, thinking about it for a moment before smiling, "It's nice to meet you, Yuka-sama!". Yuka quickly covered Mizuki's mouth again. "Gah! Don't address _me_ like that! I don't deserve respect! Only superiors! Espada, Gin-sama, Aizen-sama, and Tousen-sama only!", he quickly stated. Mizuki pulled the boys hand from her mouth, "Ok...Yuka. I understand". The boy was hesitant at first if she really did understand but he sighed and moved back from Mizuki. "So where is Gin...sama...?", Mizuki tilted her head, waiting to see if she got it right. Yuka shrugged, "No idea...He just brought you here two days ago and hasn't come back to see you since...". "Two days...?", Mizuki thought for a moment, trying to remember how and why she could have been unconscious for that period of time. But as it came back to memory, her head started to hurt once again and she groaned in pain. She placed her hands on her head and closed her eyes to make the pain go away.

"Mizuki...?", Yuka looked confused now, "Oih, Mizuki! Are you alright?". "Mizu-chan~!", the voice rang through the room unexpectedly and almost immediately, the pain in Mizuki's head stopped and she looked over to see Gin walking towards her bed. Yuka yelped and quickly went down on his hands and knees, bowing lowly to Gin. The poor boy was shaking like a leaf. Mizuki looked down at Yuka, confused as to what exactly he was doing on the floor. "How are ya feeling...?", Gin asked as he stopped by her bed, completely ignoring Yuka on the floor. Mizuki looked up at Gin and then down at her lap. "Sad...Confused...and hurt", she replied.

Gin was surprised she stated her exact emotions. Definitely not Mizuki like. Mizuki, the one he knew, would express her feelings by actions, not by words. But at least she was honest, though honesty wasn't going to get her anywhere in a place like this. "No need to be sad, and if ya want Aizen-sama can answer all yar questions so yar confusion will go away", Gin stated. Mizuki looked up at him and shook her head. "Sadness won't disappear, the pain won't go away. My family...you were right...I would only bring them pain when I went back...", Mizuki was confused by these emotions. She wasn't used to feeling sad, or feeling hurt. She was used to happiness and having fun. She had felt like this on some occasions where she wondered where her memories went. But her family, Nel, Pesche, and Dondachakka, always cheered her up. Now they were hurt and it was all her fault.

Yuka was listening to the conversation and could sense something off about Gin. He wasn't acting like his usual tricky and cruel self. He was being nice to this girl. How could she possibly be special to Aizen-sama's plans, he wondered. She was just a stray shinigami from the sands of Hueco Mundo. He hadn't noticed anything special about her yet. "Yuka", the boy tensed as he heard his silver-hair superior actually say _**his**_ name. He didn't think someone such as Gin would remember someone such as himself. He was a very low ranked arrancar. He wasn't well known. "Y-Yes Gin-s-sama...?", Yuka stuttered. "Could ya make sure Mizu-chan has something good to eat and get'er into some new clothing before I come back for her in an hour to bring'er to Aizen-sama..?", Yuka slowly looked up at Gin, only to realize the fox-faced man was looking directly at him, so he bowed his head once more. "Yes Gin-sama!", he stated, trying not to sound scared even though he was shaking like mad at the moment.

Gin's smile grew as he saw how scared the boy was. It always made him happy when he saw people shaking like this because of him. It was a satisfying feeling. "Good", his gaze shifted back to Mizuki, who was probably the only other person in this building, besides the Espada, Aizen, and Tousen, who wasn't afraid of him, "I'll see ya in an hour then". With that, the silver haired man disappeared as quickly as he had come.

Yuka slowly rose to his feet, sighing softly in relief. "Scary man...", Yuka murmured, shuttering slightly. Mizuki looked at him. "Why are you afraid..? He seems nice", Mizuki smiled at Yuka. He looked at her and shook his head, "That man is beyond nice...A-Anyway! We have to get you some food and some new clothes. Stay here and I'll be back". With that, the small boy arrancar ran out of the room and off to get Mizuki some clothes and some food.

**...**

Mizuki laid there now as she waited for Yuka to return. She stared at the ceiling. '_Is Gin really that scary...? He seems nice. I like his smile. He can't be scary if he's that friendly!_', she thought to herself with her own smile appearing on her lips. Maybe it was because Yuka was so young that Gin seemed scary because of his height. Maybe he was intimidating that way. But whatever the reason, she was glad to be here. Gin had warned her and because of Gin's words, her family wasn't dead. They were injured, but they would heal and since she would no longer be there, they wouldn't get hurt again.

**...**

Yuka had come back after a little while of searching and preparing and placed the trey of food on Mizuki's lap. He then set the white garments on the table before having a seat on the bed beside her. "Hope the foods ok...I'm not the best cook", Yuka stated. "Thank you", she began to eat with her hands, not using the utensils like a normal person would. Her face immediately brightened up. "This is amazing! The best thing I have ever had!", she exclaimed, shoveling more of the food into her mouth. It might have been just the fact that all she had ever eaten out in Hueco Mundo was odd fruits or maybe the fact that she hadn't even realized how hungry she could be. But whatever the reason, she was enjoying Yuka's food, which surprised the small arrancar.

He gathered his words and finally spoke up, "You really like it?". Mizuki nodded, "Yesh! Ish weally good nd filling!", was her reply with a mouth full of food. Yuka chuckled as she spoke with her mouth full. "You're interesting but you really should use utensils and eat slower. It's kind of rude", he stated. "Oh...I'm sorry!", she apologized, frowning now, "I just...don't know...I don't understand...". Yuka's smile faded and he noticed that he had hurt her feelings, "Gah! Sorry! I didn't mean it like that! I meant...uhm...well here, I'll teach you". Yuka jumped from the other bed and came over, lifting up the fork and showing her how to handle it. "It's simple, don't worry. Nothing complicated about it", he stated as he showed her how to pick up food with it. It was so odd teaching someone who seemed to be a grown women how to eat properly.

When Mizuki was finished, Yuka pulled the curtain around her bed so she could get changed in private. He waited outside and watched to make sure no one disturbed her. Mizuki looked at the garments and sighed. She had no idea how to properly dress herself. After all, she had been wearing the same tattered outfit for who knows how long. She took a deep breath and began to undress. '_It'll be just like the other clothes..._', she thought, trying to reassure herself. She began to pull the pants on, which were a lot like her black ones so they were easy to get used to. But the top was different. She pulled the top on, trying to pull it down over her stomach to hide herself, but it showed her mid-drift. "Too small...?", she questioned aloud before shrugging it off and pulling on the last piece, which was sort of like a white over coat. The only thing she did not bother to put on were the shoes. She had never worn shoes from what she remembered so she didn't exactly know what they were for.

Mizuki pulled aside the curtain and looked at Yuka, "How do I look?". Yuka turned and blinked, "Whoa...You clean up good", he joked, looking at the outfit before noticing something missing, "But you forgot the shoes". Mizuki tilted her head with a confused look, "Shoes...?". Yuka placed his fingers to his temples, now growing annoyed with how little Mizuki knew. It was like teaching a four-year old. He walked over and grabbed the boots from the table and came back, kneeling down in front of her. "Give me your right foot", he instructed. Confused, but compliant, Mizuki lifted up her right foot for Yuka and leaned back against the bed. Yuka took the right boot and slipped it onto her foot, glad that it fit properly. He did the same thing with the left foot. "There", Yuka got to his feet, looking at her, "All done. Next time you're doing it all yourself though".

"Fed and dressed", came the voice of Gin, "Good job, Yuka-san". At this, Yuka tensed and quickly dropped to his hands and knees, hiding his fearful features from Yuka. "Y-Yes. I-I did as you asked, Gin-sama...!", the poor boy stuttered. Mizuki was staring at Yuka, not even looking at Gin as he approached. She didn't like how he was so scared. To her, it was odd. It wasn't right, and Gin was just letting him be that way. "Alrigh'. Let's go, Mizu-chan. Can't keep Aizen-sama waitin' for too long", stated Gin, stopping and watching Mizuki, waiting for her to come to his side. However, she didn't move towards him. Instead she knelt down and helped Yuka to his feet with the most pleasant of smiles. "Stop being afraid. I'm here so it's ok", she reassured the now confused boy.

Gin's smile faded for a moment as he watched Mizuki reassure the young arrancar. She was trying to relieve him of the fear Gin had placed within the boy for so long. Her words were useless though. As soon as Yuka looked at Gin again, he bowed his head lowly and his body began to shake once more. This caused Gin's smirk to return and he turned away, "Let's go, Mizu-chan". Mizuki frowned as her reassurance didn't seem to work on Yuka. She felt bad for the boy, and Gin didn't seem to care how he was effecting the boy. "Goodbye, Yuka", she smiled at him before turning and following Gin out of the room. She hoped she would see Yuka again.

**...**

Nel sat by her two friends, whimpering softly. She didn't understand any of this. Why was Mizuki gone? What went wrong? Was it because they got hurt? Why did they have to get hurt? "Pesche...Dondachakka...!", Nel cried, pulling on Pesche's arm slightly. The two were injured and she didn't know what she could do for them. They weren't responding, but they were still alive. Their bodies were covered in serious burns from the acid that had hit them and they were probably in extreme pain, or would be if they woke up.

Nel looked towards Las Noches where Mizuki had wandered towards. She sniffled, "Mizuchi...Pwease come back...pwease...We need you", she whispered before leaning over her two friends. Her saliva had healing powers, very little, but at least it was something. So, she began to drool over their wounds, hoping it would help heal them and make them better.

**END:~ Ok, sorry it took so long for this! I hope you enjoyed it! Please review and thanks for reading!**


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